September’s Theme is Depth

Our September theme is Depth, chosen by our Columbus chapter and illustrated by Bryan Christopher Moss.

Depth is a measure of distance. Get a feel for it by traveling along a rock fissure that tunnels into the earth, stepping across the expanse between our galaxy and the next, or diving into the mysteries hidden within ourselves.

Depth is a space that denies easy ways of seeing or comprehending — when we shine a light into the deep blue of the ocean, we cannot see much further than the surface. In our age of instant answers, we bristle at this resistance. It’s often easier to reduce people, places, and ideas into flattened renderings, rather than grapple with the nuanced and contradictory truths found in their depths.

In what depths could you submerge yourself if you let curiosity guide you? Ask open-ended questions and listen for responses to arise. With patience, watch those questions transform and transmute as they travel further. Blink your eyes open in the abyss, lose your frame of reference, and discover something altogether new.

We asked you to share stories, images, and other artifacts that speak to what “depth” means to you. Here’s what you shared:

🕳 Offerings from the Depths

Depth appears in my life in a literal sense when I do deep scuba dives. Scuba diving is a form of meditation for me. Very few things make me focus on the present and quiets my mind like a deep dive. — Angela Betancourt, Miami Beach, U.S.

Depth in using contrasting colors in my artwork to enliven it. Depth in diving into the contrasting unpleasantness of being human to find liveliness. — Simone Lamers, Netherlands

Finding depth in mountain solitude, balancing the act of movement and stillness. Hiking up that mountain, listening to podcasts from all over the world, and rooting in the moment of stillness while doing some yoga in front of this little hut. Leaving behind societal expectations, fears, and performing pressure - and grounding in the essence of: just to be! — Franziska Manouk, Upper Bavaria, Germany

I found many meanings for this word “Depth,” such as the distance between the surface and the bottom; or the complexity of a thought that makes it difficult to understand; and the strength or the intensity of an idea, feeling or emotion. Even in Latin, one of the meanings is moving inward to its limit. And for me, it means the unexpected situations that make me go deep, go inside “a thing” or deeper in some way. Somehow in those moments what helps me is to investigate, to meditate, and make an effort. I present this sculpture to show the idea of “Depth,” made of wood and silver. — Jessica Zimmermann de Landa, Peru

To me, depth is the grandeur of being(s). A poem and a painting dedicated to “Being Depth”.
— Fateme Banishoeib, Lisbon, Portugal

The running theme of my videos is curiosity, and always looking to see things up close and see the deeper story! My Thai Food explainer is a good example of how there’s often a whole story behind a very simple question. — Philippe Lazaro, San Diego, U.S.

Scribing helps me to go deep with my own listening, by creating images with and for groups, in real time. It invites different tonalities during dialogue, and** gestures toward edges where the known meets the unknown** and where creative possibilities live. — Reilly Dow, Mexico City

As a child I learned to observe everyone. Observe and morph into whatever was needed to sustain a presence. My empathy, intuition, and perception allow me to fall into the depths of others. I used to think it hindered me - I now know it’s my superpower. — Stacey Root, Oklahoma, U.S.